The massive use of plastics has created an enormous global problem with environmental, economic, social, and health repercussions. The only viable solution to the problem would therefore be to stop plastic waste from entering the oceans in the first place. The authors of this paper propose to launch negotiations on a plastics convention and begin to end this irresponsible disaster.
Publication Series on Ecology 38: How could a just and democratic resource politics look like that respects both planetary boundaries and human rights? The Memorandum “Resource Politics for a Fair Future” is the outcome of a two-year international dialogue process of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.
Publication Series on Ecology 35: From climate change to ecosystem degradation – the solution to these problems could reside in an economic “valuation” of nature and its services. But can that really give nature any better protection? This publication provides a readily understandable introduction to the subject and illuminates the concepts and instruments that follow from the idea of monetarizing nature.
Publication Series on Ecology 22: The idea of growth as the way to end poverty and escape economic and financial crisis remains largely undisputed and is currently reflected in the concept of the green economy. But not everything that is “green” and efficient is also environmentally sustainable and socially equitable. This essay outlines a policy of less, of wealth in moderation, to enable the Earth’s resources to make a life of dignity and without need possible for all.
Publication Series on Ecology 21: The Future We Want – the motto chosen by the UN in the run-up to the June 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) – is certainly forward-looking. Rio+20 is supposed to define routes towards a safer, fairer, greener, and cleaner world. But the blueprints for a green economy are devoid of gender perspectives. Christa Wichterich’s essay takes a closer look on the relations between feminism and ecology.
Publication Series on Ecology 20: The global crisis of unsustainability is not only a crisis of the hardware of civilization, it is also a crisis of the software of minds. Therefore we need a global (environ)mental change, that is a transformation process to affect the many relationships between our minds and their environments.
Publication Series on Ecology 14: In light of the recent ecological, financial and economic crisis, criticizing the all-powerful paradigm of economic growth is necessary. But growth as will and representation not only pervades corporate headquarters, stock exchanges and ministries, but also our heads.
Publication Series on Ecology 13: Climate justice requires a fair and equitable sharing of emission reduction targets as well as of financial contributions from public sources, but Copenhagen has not delivered the fair, ambitious and legally binding agreement that many hoped for, and the world now seems further away from it than ever.
This paper is a document that describes the drivers behind marginal oil investments and gives an overview of existing and potential projects across the globe. It contains important analysis that should be public knowledge and will productively feed the ongoing debate, from Cancun to Durban to Rio and beyond.